Consume All Media! Hop Harrigan: "Chapter One: A Mad Mission"

Joe Heath is a big fan of comic books and watching things in order. So they made this spreadsheet containing every serial, short, film, television episode, commercial, motion comic, and web series based on a comic book. Now they're watching them all. Previously, Joe watched the Marvelous arrival of Captain America in 1944. This time, as there were no comic book adaptations in 1945, they hop to 1946 for the lesser-known Hop Harrigan.

Hop Harrigan (AKA Hop Harrigan: America’s Ace of the Airways)

Film Info

Release date: March 28th, 1946

Studio: Columbia Pictures

Written by Ande Lamb & George H. Plympton

Based on the All-American Publications/DC Comics character created by Jon Blummer

Produced by Sam Katzman

Directed by Derwin Abrahams

Writer Highlights

George H. Plympton (1889-1972)

Other comic book media credits: The Vigilante (1947), Superman (1948), Congo Bill (1948), Batman and Robin (1949), Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), & Blackhawk (1952)

Producer Highlights

Sam Katzman (1901-1973)

Other comic book media credits: The Vigilante (1947), Superman (1948), Congo Bill (1948), Batman and Robin (1949), Atom Man vs. Superman (1950), & Blackhawk (1952)

Hop Harrigan is the first comic book serial star that’s not a costumed hero, but rather a young US Air Force pilot. Though in the comics, he very briefly dipped his toes in the superhero world by assuming the identities of The Guardian Angel and the Black Lamp (an obvious nod to All-American Comics headliner Green Lantern).

Hop Harrigan’s comic book adventures were then adapted into a popular radio series that ran from 1942 to 1948 that inspired multiple fan clubs and over 100,000 letters written to the program. A live-action adaptation seemed like the next logical step for Hop. But did he fly high or crash and burn?

Let’s dive in to find out more.

Hop Harrigan: “Chapter One: A Mad Mission” - 28:46 (Available on Dailymotion)

We start off in the thick of the action with Hop Harrigan (William Bakewell) flying what appears to be some sort of rescue mission.

Actor Trivia

William Bakewell (1908-1993)

With an acting career lasting over 50 years, Blakewell has almost 200 acting credits to his name and was one of the founding members of the Screen Actors Guild. He worked for the Motion Picture & Television Fund and even wrote an autobiography about his experiences in the industry (that is out-of-print and incredibly expensive). Sadly, none of that translates into a good performance as Hop Harrigan.

Bakewell’s performance as Hop Harrigan is bland, monotonous, and forgettable. But at least he’s not obnoxious...

Enter Hop’s “comic” sidekick, Tank Tinker (Sumner Getchell).

Actor Highlights

Sumner Getchell (1906-1990)

Trivia: Getchell acted in over 60 films with roles including “Blimp,” “Blimpy,” “Fat Boy,” “Fat Boy Tourist,” “Tubby,” and on at least four occasions just “Fat.” While it’s sad that he seems to have been typecast as a very specific kind of character, it also kind of gives you an idea for the level of comedy at work in Hop Harrigan.

Other comic book media: His final film role was in 1957’s The Sad Sack as “Fat Soldier.” Of course.

Getchell delivers all of his lines like he’s saying a punchline, even though nothing he says is actually funny.

Tank Tinker was also in the comic books and the radio series and at one point was voiced by Jackson Beck who voiced Perry White in the Fleischer Superman cartoons.

It appears as though Tank may be just as annoying in the comics.

Tank hangs off the wing of the plane and rescues a kid named Jackie (Robert “Buzzy” Henry).

Actor Trivia

Robert “Buzzy” Henry (1931-1971)

Buzz Henry went on to be in many westerns, both as an actor and as a stuntman. He even worked as a second unit director on films like Our Man Flint, The Wild Bunch, & The Cowboys.

Jackie is the most charismatic and interesting character in the whole serial. He brings more energy than Hop and Tank combined.

During this scene of Jackie’s rescue, I was worried because the shots were all very tight and static. It was very obvious that this plane was not actually flying. Then it’s revealed that the plane actually IS parked on the ground and they were just recreating a previous rescue for Jackie’s amusement. That’s legitimately clever! This won’t last!

Jackie blurts out a mouthful of plane facts he’s learned. Tank thinks reading is stupid and the only way to really know a plane is to, I dunno, touch it and absorb its energy or something. Anyway, Jackie is clearly a hundred times smarter than Tank. Probably Hop, too.

They all head to the hangar which is owned by Hop’s girlfriend and Jackie’s sister Gail Nolan (Jennifer Holt).

Actor Trivia

Jennifer Holt (1920-1997)

Holt appeared in quite a few westerns in her time, enough to win her a Golden Boot Award in 1984. She certainly didn’t win it for Hop Harrigan. While there may not have been sparks on-screen, things seemed to heat up behind the scenes. Six months after Hop Harrigan premiered, Jennifer Holt married her co-star William Bakewell. Two years later, they got a divorce. But still… she got that Golden Boot Award!

While not from the comics, Gail Nolan did appear in the radio series, voiced by Mitzi Gould.

While Gail gets to be part of the plot (what little there is) and doesn’t get kidnapped like most of the leading ladies in these serials, she largely seems bored and uninterested in being there.

Anyway, they all watch a plane sort of fly around the hangar for a bit. Jackie gets on the radio to see what’s going on. The passengers of the plane are J. Westly Arnold (Emmett Vogan), his ward Gwen Arnold (Claire James), and his assistant Mark Craven (Peter Michael).

Actor Highlights

Emmett Vogan (1893-1969)

Other comic book media: Secretary of National Security in Superman (1948) & Mr. Williams in Batman and Robin (1949)

Out of the adult members of the cast we’ve met so far, Emmett Vogan is the best actor of the bunch, but that’s not saying a whole lot.

Claire James is on-screen so little that I have no memory of her performance. Which is a big problem that will be explored in the last chapter.

Peter Michael is the worst of the bunch. All of his dialogue sounds like he’s reading it for the first time while also struggling to stay awake. But with the scripts he was given, who could blame him?

The wheels on their plane are stuck and they’re running out of fuel. Hop and Tank fly their plane up and Hop pulls the wheel out with his bare hands.

This might be the only exciting thing Hop does in the entire serial.

Mr. Arnold has a job for Hop, but Hop already has a job making a gold delivery. But Mr. Arnold insists, so Hop passes his gold contract over to someone he outbid to get the job in the first place, Hunter (Bill Brauer).

Actor Highlights

Bill Brauer (1909-1990)

Other comic book media: Thorne AKA X-9 in The Vigilante (1947)

Bill Brauer’s acting is fine, but he’s just your basic bad guy type.

Hunter talks to Craven about the gold contract and decides to steal the gold instead. Somehow this is going to make Hop look bad? It honestly didn’t make much sense to me.

Hop and Tank go to Mr. Arnold’s office where Tank literally falls over himself while staring at Arnold’s secretary. Comedy!

Arnold tells them about a man named Dr. Tobor who has invented a new energy source. Arnold wants them to fly him to his lab and bring back his invention. Tank says this is like something from a comic book!

This might be the only funny thing Tank says in the entire serial.

Dr. Tobor (John Merton) arrives and they all leave together.

Actor Highlights

John Merton (1901-1959)

Trivia: Merton appeared in hundreds of films, including all of Cecil B. DeMille’s films. In fact, DeMille suggested he change his name from Myrtland LaVarre to John Merton.

Other comic book media: Doc in the 1953 Adventures of Superman episode “The Man in the Lead Mask”

John Merton’s performance is another one that is fun to watch. Tobor is unpredictable and incredibly paranoid and Merton plays the role with an incredible energy that is lacking nearly everywhere else in this serial.

Arnold talks to his board of directors about the invention and how he wants to get it and destroy it, so it doesn’t wind up in the wrong hands.

It’s around this point that we are introduced to the Chief Pilot, a shadowy figure (literally) who occasionally tells people what to do or spouts pointless exposition over the radio.

I think we’re supposed to assume he’s one of Arnold’s board members, but none of the board members are interesting or developed enough to care about or suspect. Not to mention, the serial cheats a bit by having him be voiced by someone who does not play the character the Chief Pilot is eventually revealed to be. (More on that in the last chapter!) I quite frequently forgot the Chief Pilot was even in the serial, because he has so little to do with the actual plot.

The Chief Pilot’s first move is to have a plane follow Hop’s plane as it flies to Tobor’s lab.

Meanwhile, Hunter’s men steal the gold that was being delivered. Jackie sees this and jumps on their car as it drives off.

Hop finally loses their tail and they proceed to Tobor’s lab. But Tobor says no one except him is allowed to know where it is, so he has Tank and Hop fly the plane while wearing blacked out goggles.

This is absolutely nutty and I love it.

Hop gets a radio call from Gail saying that the gold was stolen and Jackie went with them. But Tobor holds a gun to Hop and says not to answer. They fly dangerously close to mountains as this chapter comes to an end.

Should you watch it, though? This isn’t great. The writing is clunky and the acting is stiff. Tank is incredibly annoying and nearly everyone else is just flat and bland. There are a few highlights here and there, like Jackie, Tobor, and flying a plane blindfolded. And it’s kind of interesting how there are two cliffhangers, one with Jackie and one with Hop. But there’s not enough here to recommend.

Tune in next time for Hop Harrigan: "Chapter Two: The Secret Ray" (Available on Dailymotion.)

A version of this article was previously published on The Dipp.

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